Sooz's journal

Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Hello again. Hope you're all getting into the Christmas spirit. I am planning on putting up my tree tomorrow (all going well). In the meantime, I was delighted to discover that The Christmas Spirit is the top read at Opening Line Literary Zine - 12 stocking filler books for Christmas. Here are their comments on The Christmas Spirit, but I've included the pdf link if you fancy checking out the whole magazine. Feast your eyes on page 11 for the 12 books. bit.ly/1vNaLoN
'The Christmas Spirit is an excellent excuse to curl up under a blanket and immerse yourself in all things seasonal. Rebecca has just been dumped and dreads the thought of spending Christmas with her parents. 82 year old Stanley faces Christmas alone for the first time after losing his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. Jacob is an unemployed university graduate without a hope of getting a job in the New Year, and workaholic Meredith would rather be alone for the holidays with a microwave meal and DVDs. Only Natalie Hope has a chance of spreading festive cheer among the people who really need it. This is a book to be read with the tree lights on and a mug of hot chocolate in your hand.'
And remember, you can get your copy of The Christmas Spirit this week for only 99p/$.99 http://amzn.to/1wa2cas (UK) & http://amzn.to/1HQLJvr (US)

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

'The Christmas Spirit is my first festive read this year and this lovely feel good story has definitely put me in a Christmassy mood and ready for the coming Yuletide season.

When Natalie arrives in a little village near Loch Lomond in Scotland she knew who needed her help the most and, as she baked her delicious Christmas cakes in the Sugar and Spice Bakery her plans for them started to take shape.

None of them were looking forward to Christmas this year..............

I thought the author really developed each character well for such a short story and I enjoyed it very much. Warm-hearted, cheerful and up-beat, this is the perfect holiday read to put you in the Christmas Spirit.'

Another gorgeous review for The Christmas Spirit and I love the subtitle too! AS YUMMY AS MINCE PIES AND AS WARMING AS MULLED WINE. 'When Natalie comes to temporarily run the Sugar and Spice bakery, things begin to change for everyone. Susan Buchanan has written a delightfully Christmassy story which revolves around the lives of various characters including Meredith the workaholic, Jacob who longs for a loving family, Rebecca who is going through a bad break-up and my favouri...te, Stanley, who is recently widowed and can't face life on his own. Natalie's arrival triggers good fortune for those around her, and I love how Susan has written her characters with such affection and care. The Christmas Spirit is an uplifting tale about the goodness of human nature, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves to curl up with a good festive read during the dark winter nights. Just don't forget a good slice of cake, as you WILL be hungry! I adore Susan's descriptions of food! I could vividly see Sugar and Spice in my mind, with its Christmas tree, gluhwein and every cake you can think of, and I would eat there every week if it was round the corner from me!

Delighted to see I'm an Indie Book Bargains featured author today with The Christmas Spirit, and I'm right beside James Patterson! Who could not be pleased with that? http://www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/

Hurrah! It's December and a very important day for me, as a year ago today I launched The Christmas Spirit. To celebrate this fact, this week it's only 99p/99 cents, so if you haven't got a copy already, here's the blurb to show you what you're missing! http://amzn.to/1wa2cas (UK) & http://amzn.to/1HQLJvr (US)

Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it. Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing. Eighty-two-year-old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her? Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year. Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season? The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?

About Me

Hi - welcome to my blog. I am the author of three books, available on Amazon. The Christmas Spirit launched on 1st December 2013, and is a feel good Christmas tale. The Dating Game came out in November 2012 and is the tale of a workaholic recruitment consultant who hasn't had much luck in the love stakes so far, so decides to join a dating agency for professional people. Sign of the Times is a contemporary romantic drama, based mainly in Scotland and Italy. The novel features 12 key characters, representing the 12 signs of the zodiac. I wanted to write contemporary fiction, which was fun, but not necessarily fluffy and I hope to have pulled it off. The novel charts how the lives of the 12 characters intertwine and the events that befall them.